Product Manager Bridging
MISSION:
The PdM Bridging Team is committed to develop, acquire, field and sustain, gap crossing solutions that meet the Warfighters requirements.VISION:
The recognized world class leader in providing innovative gap crossing capability to the Warfighter.FOCUS:
Utilize the taxpayer's dollars efficiently to provide gap crossing solutions with leading technology to yield the best performing equipment to the Warfighter at the right time.PdM Bridging is responsible for engineering, production, fielding, logistical support and modernization of the U.S. Army's assault, tactical and line of communication bridging systems.
Product Manager Bridging is committed to develop, acquire, field, and sustain, gap crossing solutions that meet the Warfighter's requirements. PdM Bridging interfaces with other defense organizations on a range of existing and emerging bridging systems including the Wolverine Heavy Assault Bridge (HAB), Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge (AVLB), Improved Ribbon Bridge (IRB), Bridge Erection Boat (BEB), Common Bridge Transporter (CBT), Rapidly Emplaced Bridge System (REBS), Dry Support Bridge (DSB) system, M3 Medium Girder Bridge (MGB), Joint Assault Bridge (JAB), Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV), Improved Boat Cradle (IBC), Bridge Adapter Pallet (BAP) and Line of Communication Bridge (LOCB). The Dry Support Bridge system and the Improved Ribbon Bridge provide representative examples.
Dry Support Bridge (DSB) provides the Army with assault and support bridging for gaps of up to 40 meters. The DSB replaces the outdated, manpower-and time-intensive medium girder bridge (MGB) with a mechanical system capable of emplacing a 40-meter bridge with 14 soldiers in 90 minutes or less. In addition, the DSB will improve current bridge load-carrying capacity, moving it up to Military Load Classification (MLC) 96 for wheeled traffic, such as an M1 tank uploaded on a heavy equipment transporter. The DSB is designed for transportation as a palletized load by the CBT, Palletized Load System (PLS) trailers or by service support units equipped with PLS trucks. Testing is underway to increase the length to 46 meters. A new and improved Line of Communications Bridge is currently being designed by the Ground Vehicle Systems Center. This new bridge will provide Army bridging units with a robust and flexible design that will satisfy requirements well into the 21st century.
Assault bridging and gap crossing is supported by the Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV) which provides an in-stride complex obstacle breaching capability based on the M1A1 Abrams tank hull for Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCT). The M104 Wolverine Heavy Assault Bridge system is a legacy bridge system using the M1A2SEP Abrams platform to horizontally launch and recover a 26 meter bridge under armor. Forty-Four systems were procured before the program was terminated in 2000. The Joint Assault Bridge program will provide an M1A1-based platform to launch and recover the legacy Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge (AVLB) scissor bridge and replace AVLB launchers in combat engineer units. The Rapidly Emplaced Bridge System (REBS) provides bridging capability to Stryker BCTs.
